Foul
An action that breaks the rules of play and for which the offending player or team is penalised.
Definition
A foul is any illegal act during play, such as illegal contact, obstruction or handling the ball, that an official penalises. Depending on the sport, the penalty might be a free kick, a free throw, a penalty shot or possession being given to the other side.
In many team sports, repeated or serious fouls can bring further sanctions, including a formal caution, a card or a player being removed from the game. Exactly what counts as a foul varies widely from one sport to another.
Where you’ll hear “foul”
Sports that use this term:
Football
The world’s most popular team sport — endless running, teamwork and community in one game.
Basketball
A fast, dynamic team sport of running, jumping and quick decisions on court.
Handball
A fast indoor team sport of passing, jumping and throwing to score with the hands.
Water Polo
A demanding team sport played in deep water, blending swimming endurance with tactics.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Foul to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Rules
- OffsideA rule that prevents an attacker from gaining an advantage by being positioned too close to the opponents' goal ahead of the ball and the last defenders.
- Handball offenceA foul in football committed when an outfield player deliberately handles or controls the ball with the hand or arm.
- Direct and indirect free kicksThe two types of free kick awarded in football to restart play after a foul or other stoppage.
- Penalty kick awardA one-on-one kick against the goalkeeper awarded when a defending player commits a direct-free-kick foul inside their own penalty area.
- Yellow and red cardsThe disciplinary cards a football referee shows to caution or send off a player for misconduct.
Player roles
- Ball-winnerA ball-winner is the player tasked with regaining possession through pressing, tackling and interceptions — a team's tireless defensive workhorse.
- Utility playerA dependable, versatile player who can competently fill several different positions as the team needs, rather than specialising in just one.
- PlaymakerThe playmaker is a team's creative hub — the player who orchestrates attacks, controls the tempo and distributes the ball so teammates can score.
- Target playerA target player is a focal attacker who receives, holds up and links play for others, often physically strong and good in the air or with the hands.
- CaptainThe captain is a team's on-field leader who communicates, makes in-game decisions and sets standards — a role any player can hold, not a fixed position.
Officiating
- RefereeThe primary on-field official who enforces the rules, controls play, penalises fouls, awards restarts, and blows the whistle to start and stop a match.
- UmpireA match official who rules on lines, serves and dismissals in racket, bat-and-ball and net sports such as tennis, cricket and baseball — and, in racket sports, also keeps the running score.
- JudgeA judge is an official who scores performance in judged sports, awarding marks for execution and difficulty rather than counting goals or timing a race.
- Line JudgeA boundary-line official who calls whether the ball or player is in or out and flags foot faults, working under the head referee across many sports.
- ScorekeeperThe official who keeps the authoritative record of a contest — score, fouls, and statistics — usually seated at a scorer's table beside the timekeeper.
Positions
- CenterThe center is usually the tallest player on a basketball team, playing near the basket to score inside, rebound, and protect the rim.
- SetterThe setter is volleyball’s playmaker, taking the team’s second contact and delivering accurate sets for hitters to attack.
- StrikerA striker is the main attacking player in football, positioned furthest forward with the primary job of scoring goals.
- Fly-halfThe fly-half is rugby’s chief decision-maker and tactical kicker, directing the backline and controlling how the team attacks.
- GoalkeeperThe goalkeeper is the last line of defence in football and the only player allowed to handle the ball inside their own penalty area.
Go deeper with Foul
Everywhere else on the platform that covers Foul — assembled from what actually references it, so nothing here is a dead end.
Take it away
Open data and the whole-platform view of this subject.
How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Term
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-08-04
Evergreen, first-party explanation — it makes no claim that needs an external source. How we handle sources and reviews.